Copyright © by the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology doi: 10.3832/efor0543-0050280

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Identification of a system of ecologically homogeneous areas and of priority intervention levels for forest plantation planning in Sicily

Maetzke F, Cullotta S, La Mantia T, La Mela Veca DS, Pizzurro GM

Dipartimento di Colture Arboree, Università degli Studi di Palermo, v.le delle Scienze 11, I-90128 Palermo (Italy)

Abstract: Afforestation and reforestation activities in Sicily have been widespreaded in the last century. The results of forestation activities indicate the need to adopt a operational tools to promote the extension of forest surface at regional and sub-regional levels. In this view, with the aim to produce useful tools for forest plantation planning, the entire regional area was analysed and ecologically homogeneous areas have been identified to join and target arboriculture and/or forestation plantation activities, to choose tree and shrub species for different environments and to identify priority areas of intervention. The map of Rivas-Martinez bioclimate and the map of litological types were used as basic information layers to map pedo-climatic homogeneous areas. In order to mitigate disruptive hydrogeological effects and to reduce desertification risk and forest fragmentation, the Corine Land Cover map (CLC2000), the hydrogeological bond map and the desertification risk map were used to identify areas characterized by urgent need of forest activities at high priority level. A total of 23 ecologically homogeneous areas have been identified in Sicily, while more than a quarter of the regional surface has been characterized as highest priority intervention level. At sub-regional level, the target of the analysis was carried out at administrative province and at hydrographic basin level.

Received: Apr 24, 2008 - Accepted: Sep 17, 2008 - Published online: Oct 10, 2008

Full Text DOI (Digital Object Identifier): 10.3832/efor0543-0050280

Citation: Maetzke F, Cullotta S, La Mantia T, La Mela Veca DS, Pizzurro GM, 2008. Identification of a system of ecologically homogeneous areas and of priority intervention levels for forest plantation planning in Sicily. Forest@ 5 (1): 280-295. [online 2008-10-10] URL: http://www.sisef.it/forest@/show.php?id=543 - [doi: 10.3832/efor0543-0050280]

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